MINI: Audrey's Last Pair Of School Shoes

Christian O'Connell chats with Patsy about the realities of parenting a teenager.

They're navigating the challenges of year nine, where the education system ramps up and their daughter's growth seems to accelerate.

Christian shares a poignant moment at the shoe shop, where a comment about Audrey's last pair of school shoes sparks a reflection on the fleeting nature of childhood.

They discuss the emotional ups and downs of parenting, from the highs of watching their daughter grow to the lows of worrying about the future.

It's a heartwarming and relatable conversation about the complexities of family life.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:09):
iHeart Podcasts. You can hear more Gold one I four
point three podcasts, playlist and listen live on the free
iHeart app. Got anything good? Hey, This is the Christian
O'Connell show podcast. Shout out to all the mums and
dad who are hanging out running on vapors until the

(00:32):
kids finally begin the new school year of the next
couple of days and next week. Patsy, how's it going
in your household?

Speaker 2 (00:40):
Well, something struck me for six yesterday. So we have
just the one child, a daughter who is coming up fifteen.
She's going into year nine, so still three or four
years to go yet.

Speaker 1 (00:51):
But these are years. They are the years, it really is.
It gets real now. It's so intense for them. But
it's like in Australia the education system, it's sort of
at like a one speed and then suddenly from year
nine upwards and ten eleven, twelve, it's like so much
more intense. It's really hard for them.

Speaker 2 (01:11):
Yeah, And I think the thing for Chris and I,
my husband and I is if your listeners, Melbourne listeners,
you'll probably know our story, but the rest of the
country wouldn't. In that we had a lot of trouble
getting Audrey. She was five years in the making and
lots of you know, miscarriages and stuff, so she every
child is special, but for us, we knew we were
only going to have this one shot. So it's kind

(01:33):
of like intensifies all those little things. And yesterday it
was such a.

Speaker 1 (01:37):
Okay to be honest and say you were tiger mum.
My wife is a tiger mum, and I wish I
had a mum that was as tigris as that think
you care so much.

Speaker 2 (01:48):
Oh look, she's just she's our oxygen. But yesterday we had.

Speaker 1 (01:52):
To take that's maybe an announcement. It's not I enjoy it.
That's are lots of pot on the kid, isn't it?
If you leave suffocate or these other people call it
the front door.

Speaker 2 (02:04):
We had to get new school shoes yesterday and in
our suburb we go to the same shoe shop with it.

Speaker 1 (02:09):
When you go to the Ancho section of came we
go to.

Speaker 2 (02:13):
Our local shoees. Actually they're a beautiful family business and
we've been taking her there since she could walk, since
she was a toddler, so they know it's it's that
that's so cool, so lovely.

Speaker 1 (02:22):
And tell me there's patsy. They ain't still using that
metallic thing. Yes, I also get so nervous as they're
young and using.

Speaker 2 (02:29):
That thing, you think, oh god, they're going to cut
my foot off. When you were little, it's like, what
are they doing with that? Anyway, we walked in, they said, oh, hi, Audrey. Anyway,
the man that owns the shop just said something that
really took me for six inches. I wasn't prepared for it.
It was just an innocent comment. And he goes, oh,
what year this year? And she goes year nine, and
he said, well, you know this will be your last

(02:50):
pair of school shoes unless you've had a procedure done
where you're not letting her feet grow anymore, at least another.

Speaker 1 (02:56):
Two or three parts. This is a thing. No care's
feet have only stopped growing in year night.

Speaker 2 (03:02):
Well, the last pair have lasted like four or five
years because.

Speaker 1 (03:05):
She made us got toes peeking out the top of it.
Not that bad. But just she will grow. She will. Girls.

Speaker 2 (03:13):
Don't boys do slow down?

Speaker 1 (03:16):
Give this information from stop pair of school two daughters.
They did not. There were no more shoes from year nine,
ers loads more.

Speaker 2 (03:25):
She's already like a size eight going into Ladies nine
a huge foot.

Speaker 1 (03:30):
Even if they fit, the soul would wear down to
wet as not just that you have to whenever you
buy the school shoes. It wasn't how quick to they
grow out of them. It's the scuff factor or myself
pick you know, especially about being an empty nesss I
don't need to say that to anymore, but sometimes I
see kids dragging their feet games. Mom and dad are

(03:52):
going to see that. Pick your feet up, mate, But
it's a.

Speaker 2 (03:56):
Little bit and you'll you'll probably condemn me for this,
but it's almost like when you're grieving for someone right
and someone will say something you trust.

Speaker 1 (04:09):
I'll be honest. These are the shittiest years.

Speaker 2 (04:12):
I just I'm already like fearing you twelve and then
flying the coop. And yesterday it was like another nail.

Speaker 1 (04:19):
I thought, Oh no, a feet l a fate. It's
like last shoes. I'm not ready for the last you've got.
Just all you have is now. Just enjoy the ride now,
and it's not like it ends when they leave. No
trust me the computer game of being a pair of
just because actually I find more complicated, more complex, just

(04:40):
as expensive, yes, even more so. Probably other ends. So
it's not like it ever ends, and nor should it.
It's just a different And also, you got all this year,
You've got another couple more years.

Speaker 2 (04:51):
And I love packing your lunches. And I think mostly
because I've never been there in the morning for it,
because I've always been at.

Speaker 1 (04:58):
Worst of the day those kids are I've done it
on me ten times well at the school run because
I've done breakfast ready for so long and I literally
would just get home after just doing the drop off
and be like, I don't know how she does it.
It's going to take me six hours to go back
and get them. It is like live like that.

Speaker 2 (05:19):
Yeah, yeah, I know. My husband does an amazing job
and I'll probably get the better end of it.

Speaker 1 (05:24):
So being in the Special Forces in terms of just
the insurgency you have to deal with, Yeah, yeah, why
are we getting in the car so early? Don't drop
his hair? That's see you or the elephant Dad.

Speaker 2 (05:40):
I know he cops it every morning. He cops it
every morning. He does a great job. So but I'm
not ready for the last How do you.

Speaker 1 (05:46):
Think he would have got on if you've been doing
the school and all the years, how do you think.

Speaker 2 (05:49):
Shocking shocking two women, No, absolutely shocking.

Speaker 1 (05:53):
Honestly, I wish I've been a flannel war in my
I'm outnumbered in my house, right. My life's the better
for it, okay, But honestly, if there was a flying
of all those three strong sisters, you got to my
two daughters and my wife as well. It's sometimes it's
scared with that energy. I'd just go to hide in
my own house. Suddenly the argument was stopped, and I
just sad. Someone going, where is that? I gotta go.

(06:15):
I gotta come out from under this bed right now.
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